Directions: Each item consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words. Select the word that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word. Effective governance seeks to optimize public resource allocation.

Step-by-step solution

The word 'optimize' means to make the best or most effective use of a situation or resource. The word 'degrade' means to lower the quality or cause to deteriorate, which serves as the exact opposite in this context. The other options 'upgrade', 'rationalize', and 'maximize' are either synonyms or have positive connotations related to improvement or efficiency. Answer: degrade